Huda Beauty 3D Highlighter Palette Gold Sand Review

Hi Everyone, 🙂

Today, I am reviewing Huda Beauty 3D Highlighter Palette “Gold Sands.” It is a combination of 4 highlighters – one cream highlighter and 3 powder highlighters.

The 4 colors are:

Fiji –  It’s the cream highlighter. It’s a very frosty pale gold highlighter. It is meant to be layered underneath the powder foundation but I never do so. It is quite thick and opaque on its own. I like using it on its own or when I have light makeup than using on a full-on makeup look. It gets too much “shiny” when layered underneath the powder highlighter. Also, it’s best used with fingertips than with a brush. With a brush, I found it hard to blend. In all honestly, I think a cream highlighter packed with 3 powder highlighters in the same packaging is not the best idea. Now that I have used the palette quite a bit, the flecks of powder are literally sticking on the cream highlighter. And it’s annoying.

Seychelles : It’s a very frosty pale gold highlighter. It’s very pigmented. It’s my least favourite color in the palette. I always feel it makes my makeup look a bit dated with that yellowish shine. I lose the freshness of the makeup as soon as I put it. I almost always end up sheering it out or applying something else in combination with it to make it look less yellow. It also accentuates the pores so badly.

Tahiti : It’s a gorgeous muted copper gold color and I adore this color. It is definitely my favourite highlighter in the palette. It does not accentuate the pores as much. Is soft and the peachiness of the color blends beautifully with my olive skin tone without being overly shiny.

Zanzibar:  I love this color too and I mostly use this in combination with Tahiti. It’s a beautiful pink-gold highlighter. It reminds me of NARS O blush a lot, but this is but this more shimmery and metallic(y).

Now some pointers:

I did not like this palette the first time I used it, especially the shade “Seychelles” really put me off. It not only accentuated every single pore on my face, but the color itself is so yellowish and makes my skin look sallow. (check HERE). But I did not want to give it up since so many people rave about it so I tried it different ways.

1) It works really well if you use a pore minimiser.
2) It works better when you have a full coverage foundation underneath than may be a natural base (except Fiji). A good base would help keep the skin texture minimal.
3) I also found that it works better for me when I dab this highlighter rather than if I swipe. The sparkles don’t scatter all over and do not make pores look larger.
4) It’s the most gorgeous body highlighter. Because it is so intense, it’s so much better on the body than on the face.

And the moment I changed my application style, I started to like it. That said, it still does accentuate the pores a bit. I don’t have very large pores to start with. I don’t think I’d be using Fiji and Seychelles, they are just not my colors. I adore the other two shades in the palette. Overall, I am not mad about this palette but if you are dying to have it, you would not be disappointed. There is something for everyone in the palette. I personally feel Indian Makeup artists (especially bridal MUAs) would be able to make better use of this palette. The highlighters are definitely “the evening” kind of highlighters. They are very metallic, sparkly and shiny and best paired with evening makeup looks than day-time ones.

If you are someone who likes that extra “highlight seen from the moon” kind of a person, go for it by all means, but if you prefer more subtle and natural glow, this is not for you. These are very long lasting highlight powders too. I have never seen them fading despite wearing some 7-8 hours.

I have used them in all these looks mentioned below:

• Navratri 2017
• Festive Brown Gold Eye Makeup
• Grey Smokey Eyes with a Hint of Green Eye Makeup

I can give you a good dupe for the Gold Sand’s palette, but this palette is more metallic. The dupe is theBalm The Manizer Sisters Highlighter Palette. The colors in both the palettes are very similar and the Balm palette does not have a cream highlighter. Also, the Balm palette does not accentuate your pores.

Everything said and done, it is not my favourite highlighting palette. I have made it work but I know I would never reach out for it if I am in a hurry or if I want to be 100% sure about my makeup.

IMBB Rating:
3/5

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